The Ravenous Dark, page 25
"Okay. Thanks, Bailey."
"No problem."
And it wasn't.
If she couldn't be there for River or Ronan, she'd be there for Stella. A lump lodged itself in Bailey's throat, unbidden. She cleared it roughly with a cough or two. "I'll see you later."
"You're not going to shower?"
Bailey snagged her change of clothes from the locker and stuffed them into her duffel bag. "Nah, I'm going to shower back at the Vrana's. Better water pressure. Then I have to head out for a Wilding hangout and maybe run a job or two."
Stella offered a smile. "I'll see you later then. Same time?" Bailey nodded, and the two parted ways.
Bailey left the locker room through a discreet side exit, hoping to avoid bumping into anyone else. The training had kept her mind clear of Ronan for the most part, but now that there was nothing to distract her….
"Oof!"
"Whoa there!"
Hands gripped Bailey's arms as she barreled into a passing body. Her eyes widened at the sight of her savior. A kind eye twinkled back at her. "Get enough gym time in, Hart? Or were the showers not working? You're practically drenched in sweat."
"Funny." Bailey wormed out of his helping hands. "I was helping Stella out, teaching her some self-defense. But the showers down here are less than adequate."
Jax smiled and gestured down the hall with his chin. His hair was styled back with a pomade that made it gleam in the golden light of the minor hall. "Heading in for the night?"
She nodded. "You too?"
"I am indeed." He bent and offered his arm to her theatrically. "Shall I escort you? These are dangerous times at court."
Bailey contemplated him for a moment before snorting and shoving her duffel bag at him. Jax caught it with a grunt and laugh. "Sure. Come on then, Casanova."
She and Jax might not be bosom buddies, but he was with Ronan. And what better way to learn more about her soulmark and his schedule than his best friend?
"Lead the way," Jax said, sweeping his cane out before them.
XV
The silence Jax and Bailey encountered in the hall was akin to that experienced in the height of daylight. Their steps echoed on their way to a discreet stairwell at the back of the floor. The large antechamber boasted no other soul besides the pair. It unnerved Bailey.
"I didn't think anything could scare the Dark Court into submission like this," Jax muttered. His gait was lax as his eye darted back and forth across the expanse of the floor.
Bailey shrugged, peering over her shoulder like an afterthought as she, too, scanned the floor for signs of life, undead and otherwise. There was no one.
"There have been a lot of deaths lately, even for the court," Bailey replied, gazing forward once more. Jax paused and cocked his head to the side. Bailey stopped as well. "What?"
Jax's features crumpled into a pensive frown. "There have been, haven't there?"
"Normally, the court doesn't blink an eye if a dozen seasonal or houseless courtiers wind up on the wrong side of a bone steak in a week's time." Bailey scoffed and toed the ground. "But when Royal and Major Household vampyrés start to go? You'd think a case of the bubonic plague hit the court by the way everyone's locked themselves up."
"But not you," Jax observed.
Bailey's eyes narrowed. "Or you."
Jax's lips twitched upward as he inclined his head toward her. "I’m not afraid of some rogue sorcerer.”
“Is that what they’re calling the shadowmancer? A rogue sorcerer?”
“It’s just one theory floating around; either the thing is a rogue sorcerer or summoned by one. Personally, I’m fond of the theory that the shadowmancer is an angry spirit bent on revenge for a century's worth of injustices.”
Bailey snorted. “That theory certainly lives up to the flare the Dark Court loves.”
Jax grinned. “Shall we continue?" Bailey nodded, and the two resumed their unhurried pace. "You wouldn't, by chance, have happened to see Ronan recently, would you?"
Bailey's heart skipped a beat at the nonchalant question. "Er, no."
Jax passed Bailey a rueful smile tinged with sadness. "He's been avoiding me," he confided in a mock whisper, leaning toward Bailey slightly. Jax's throat bobbed conspicuously, as he straightened and readjusted his grip on her duffel.
He wore a decidedly mundane outfit by his usual standard. Dark navy pants with a sage satin shirt. No vest or jewelry, only his eye patch and trusted walking cane. Bailey glanced at the cane. Its canine handle gave her the creeps with ruby eyes that seemed like they knew too much.
"Me too," she admitted.
Jax sighed. "I fear I might be the cause of his hiding. We aren't seeing eye to eye at the moment, and it's causing a rather large rift between us. One larger than I would have ever anticipated."
"What will you do?"
Jax ducked his head and chuckled. "The only course of action is to try to make amends." Jax swallowed thickly. "We've been through too much together to let things fall apart now."
His low-pitched confession made Bailey's heart sore as her mind drifted to River. Their constant bickering as of late felt childish after all they'd gone through to get to this point.
River was destined for greatness, but she’d never reach it if Bailey refused to let go of her role as protector in her life. If River needed her help, she would ask. Bailey couldn’t insert herself whenever she wanted because her friend growing up left her feeling out of place.
Bailey should be taking this time to think about the future. Her future.
A cautious fluttering of hope lit in her chest. She hoped it involved Ronan.
"Don't tell me my sinking friendship with Ronan brings you joy." Jax slapped a hand over his heart, adopting a wounded expression as he caught the small smile worming its way onto Bailey’s lips. "And here I thought we were friends."
Bailey's smile swiftly shifted to sardonic. "I have my own sinking friendship to deal with."
"And that makes you giddy with excitement?" Jax quipped. Bailey rolled her eyes.
"No, but yours put mine into perspective, so I guess thanks are in order."
Jax smiled slyly and rapped his cane against the floor. "Women have always said I—"
"Nope! Whatever you were about to say—don't." Bailey crossed her arms as they neared the stairwell.
Jax's smile only brightened. "And who, pray tell, is your sinking ship?"
Bailey flushed. "Ships, actually." Jax's eyebrow perked up. "River and Ronan."
Jax's second eyebrow joined the other near his hairline. "River and Ronan. Tell me more. I do enjoy court gossip."
"It's not gossip, and if this conversation is one you plan to share, I'll—"
"No, no, go on. I won't tell. I might not be able to help with the former, but the latter…."
Bailey eyed him skeptically. "You just said he's avoiding you too."
"He can't avoid us forever," Jax exclaimed cheerfully. "And I swear to put in a good word for you when I see him if you'll do the same for me."
Jax stopped again, and after tucking his cane under his other arm, offered his free hand. Bailey considered for a moment, enjoying the awkward position Jax was forced into, more than necessary before shaking his hand. Jax winced at the touch of extra supernatural strength she put into their agreement and yanked his hand back muttering under his breath something about a lifetime of ungrateful she-wolves.
"Are you going to tell me what's the matter now?"
Bailey sighed softly and averted her gaze. "With River, it's growing pains. I know we'll get back to a good place, but with Ronan, it's… complicated."
"How so?"
Bailey opened her mouth to speak, but before she could summon the words, a faint disturbance caught her ears. She squinted at the short hallway up ahead to the left that would lead to the back stairwell. The disturbance was too weak to discern, and when no other noise followed she relaxed.
"We…."
Jax took his cane back in hand and tapped it impatiently on the floor. "You…."
Bailey blushed. "We kissed."
"You kissed?"
She nodded. Her face felt like it was on fire. "A couple of times."
"A couple of—"
"You don't need to repeat everything I say," Bailey snapped. She looked around nervously as her waspish words echoed, inflaming her cheeks further. Jax, realizing his faux pas, floundered.
"I see," he remarked.
Bailey's anxiety burst forward. Her eyebrows rushed down, along with the corners of her mouth. "What do you see?"
Soft amusement played about the smile that quirked up Jax's lips, his eye shining with mirth as he regarded her. "Only that you're a good match for him."
The answer took Bailey by surprise, and what nerves held her hostage released their stranglehold. "Seriously?"
Jax nodded happily. "You two would balance each other. You'd poke him out of his brooding moods, and he'd be an anchor for whenever your renowned she-wolf temper gets the best of you." Bailey speared him with an unimpressed look that made him chuckle. "Moreover, I've never seen the likes of loyalty to one's family and passion so deeply innate in two other people."
"Ronan? Passionate?" She meant for her response to be lofty, but her words were hoarse and somewhat cracked. Bailey cleared her throat and then glanced away.
"There's more to Ronan than meets the eye. His passion might not be as obvious as yours, but it's there. When he sets his mind to something, he's not likely to change it."
Jax frowned, and so did Bailey.
"Oh." Disappointment coated the single syllable.
"Not likely doesn't mean never," Jax said meaningfully. "Don't give up on him," he continued. His features arranged themselves into something Bailey couldn't quite describe but understood. It was something only years of friendship could inspire. "Ronan… he needs someone fighting in his corner, and you, Bailey Hart, are a fighter if I ever saw one."
Bailey flushed again. She was simultaneously surprised and confused. "Aren't you in his corner?"
A flash of frustration lanced across Jax's expression before he smoothed it away. "That's the part we're not seeing eye to eye on at the moment. If he won't let me be there for him in the way he needs, you'll have to.
"Ronan's way of protecting people typically devolves to pushing them away or hiding them from whatever danger is present. I've seen it before and experienced it myself. The bigger problem is that he gets so wrapped up in his need to protect others that he forgets about himself."
His last words rang true for Bailey as well. How many times had she put herself in the line of danger in place of River? How often did she run headfirst into harm's way to intercept whatever might come from the shadows?
"I guess that's another thing we have in common," Bailey acknowledged. Her words were barely above a mere murmur.
There was more to be said in the ensuing silence, but a feral hiss trumped whatever the sorcerer and she-wolf might have offered.
"What was—"
Jax was interrupted as a figure dashed out of the upcoming hallway and straight for them. Bailey cursed and dodged to the side. Jax did the same. The figure crumpled to the ground a few feet shy of the spot they'd vacated, clutching at their neck.
"Shit," Bailey growled as several things became apparent at once.
First and foremost, the figure was a vampyré. Its speed was more than enough to give its kind away. Second, Bailey knew them. The vampyré's name was Claudine. She was one of the few females in the Gunwyn Major Household. William spoke fondly of her and her impressive fighting technique. And last, she was possessed by the shadowmancer's rabidus curse.
Bailey let loose another expletive as Claudine's blackened eyes rolled to her. With a roar, Claudine jumped to her feet and lunged at Bailey. Hands extended at her like claws; Bailey couldn't help but notice the large black spot with spidery tendrils that took up residence in the middle of her left hand.
"Yadi haba!"
Claudine was thrown to the side by an unseen force. Her body tumbled over itself as she landed on the ground some twenty feet away. Bailey's eyes widened as she watched Claudine struggle to right herself.
"Haven't you fought one of these before? Twice, if I recall correctly?" Jax remarked dryly. He strode to her side, her duffel bag left on the floor behind him.
"I know her." Bailey's voice sounded dull, even to her ears. She couldn't tear her gaze from Claudine, who had curled in on herself. The vampyré's hands raked through her sable locks as she released an anguished cry. Bailey shivered at the sound.
"Yes, well, unfortunately, not for much longer."
Jax stepped purposefully in front of Bailey and raised his cane as if it were a wand. He pointed it at Claudine.
Magic condensed around them, clotting the air with palpable electricity that made Bailey wince.
"Don't!" Bailey grabbed Jax's arm and yanked it down.
"What the hell, Bailey?" Jax half-shouted as he yanked himself from her hold. "We can't let that thing go traipsing about the court. You know what kind of destruction they leave in their wake. We have to put her down."
"No, we don't."
The two glared at one another.
"Then what do you suggest?" he asked tightly.
"River saved one of them two nights ago."
"And he offed himself a night later," Jax argued. "What's your point?"
"She deserves a chance."
Something in her raw plea struck a chord with Jax. His jaw clenched, and as his eye darted to where Claudine lay, it widened in alarm. "Watch out!"
Jax's cane was ripped from his hold and flung across the hall as Claudine charged them. The vampyré's fist collided with Jax's chest, but what should have been a direct hit was foiled by Bailey's quick action. She jumped on Claudine. Her legs wrapped around the vampyré's waist and her arms locked around the other woman's. The move knocked Claudine off balance and drew her strike wide. The impact of her hit was still frightfully dizzying to witness. Jax crashed to the floor and wheezed with each breath. Bailey clung tighter to Claudine as she roared her outrage.
"A little help over here!"
Jax wobbled up, chest heaving and glassy-eyed. He placed a shaking hand over his chest where Claudine left her mark.
"Muta meska katone." A long-suffering groan issued from between his gritted teeth. "Hold on!"
Jax arced around the pair, sprinting toward his cane with renewed energy.
"Hurry!" Bailey yelped as she tried to keep hold of the vampyré and her seat on her back. Claudine ripped an arm free.
Jax picked up his speed but nearly missed his cane as his dress shoes forfeited their purchase on the polished marble floor. He scrambled for his footing, reaching out blindly for his cane as he watched Claudine seize Bailey.
"Damnit," he snarled, snatching his cane, and thrusting it before him.
Did he cushion Bailey's inevitable fall or attack the rabidus vampyré?
Claudine made the decision for him, whipping Bailey over her shoulder like she weighed nothing.
Jax inhaled sharply. "Wies saditan!"
Bailey's momentum rapidly slowed as Jax's spell engulfed her. Her arms pinwheeled, trying to right herself before landing to no avail. She ended up rolling across the ground as she hit the floor. Thankfully, the impact was far less than it should have been allowing Bailey to spin up onto the balls of her feet. She faced Claudine with a fierce growl, ready for the next assault.
"Yadi hab—ah! Oh, shit!"
Bailey's focus snapped from Claudine, who launched herself at Bailey again, and the sudden appearance of the Shadowmancer. Its dark billowing form blocked Jax completely from view.
"No, no, no." Bailey stumbled to the side and back, but Claudine was too fast. She swiped Bailey's legs out from under her. Bailey fell onto her ass hard, as Claudine's momentum dragged them along the floor. Their spinout did nothing to deter the bloodthirsty vampyré.
She clawed her way steadily up Bailey's body. She stopped to sniff and bite at the air as she progressed, and neither striking fist nor foot from the she-wolf could stop her. Bailey's chest tightened in fear.
"Claudine, don't do this," Bailey ground out as Claudine's body began to vibrate with unnatural energy.
Her head snapped erratically from side to side. Black, pulsing veins scoured her skin. They smelled like sulfur. Bailey gagged and managed to squirm back a few inches as Claudine sniffed more aggressively near her crotch.
Bailey fisted her hair and yanked it up until their gazes clashed. "You can fight this, Claudine. Fight this."
Her words didn't register. Bailey tried to distance herself further, but she couldn't. Claudine's hands moved frantically over Bailey's shorts.
Bailey yelped. "What the—hey! What the hell, Claudine? Stop!"
She struck out in a flurry of blows to deter her frenzied search. When a strike caught the vampyré in the eye, Claudine jerked back in rage. Fangs bared; she dove for Bailey's stomach. Bailey twisted, desperately seizing Claudine's hair again and yanking with all her might to one side. The vampyré's answering scream drew Bailey's blood cold as she clutched matching chunks of hair in her white-knuckled grasp.
Claudine froze.
She stared blankly ahead as cloudy spots of red sank through the dark abyss that had taken over her eyes. She patted at her scalp in an agitated fashion, sniffing the air like a hound. Bailey didn't dare move a muscle, too aware that any movement might provoke another attack from her. Bailey's stomach clenched. She wouldn't be able to fend off another attack. Claudine was too strong and fast.
Come on, Jax. What the hell are you doing?
Absorbed in her struggle with Claudine, Bailey had been blind and deaf to any other activity in the hall. Namely, Jax and the shadowmancer. Tears corrupted her vision.
Please don't be dead.
Her silent prayer was accompanied by a shiver that glued Claudine's monstrous regard back to her. Claudine's hands fell from the top of her head and dragged down the sides of her face. Her nails pierced her skin, popping several of the black veins that bulged grotesquely on her cheeks. Acidic bile darted up the back of Bailey's throat. She swallowed it back.
